Prograg vs tacrolimus?

I was liver transplanted 4/99 and experienced no rejection episodes, ever. Had been successfully taking prograf for 10 years with only hypertension as a side effect and when I lost 80 pounds I was able to come off the anti-hypertensive. In 2009 the insurance company switched me to tacrrolimus and after 30 days I was hospitalized with severe depression, chills, sweats, tremors, awful headaches and other side effects. The only thing in my very active life that had changed was the switch to tacrolimus. When I demanded to be placed back on prograf, within 48 hours of the switch, my depression began to lift and the other symptoms dissipated as well. After 5 days I was released in good health and have continued on prograf ever since. Be very, very careful. The 2 drugs are not exacttly the same, no matter what the manufacturers, the doctors or the insurance companies say. Mine was a classic case of symptoms resulting from taking tacrrolimus. I have had no problems at all with Prograf.

Carol, tacrolimus is the generic form of prograf, right? Once it went generic I had a real change in my response. Not the side effects you are speaking about, but the dosing level changed. My test last month showed me too high. Although it was the same old dose. So we dropped one mg and I test tomorrow. When I talked to my doc about this difference, we are both aware that generics are close to the same amount but do not have to be. Well, it isn't rocket science to know these manufacturers would change the amount to save money at some manufacturers. We decided it depended upon the batch. This is dangerous for this type of drug, as you know, and can harm people. My insurance will not cover the prograf from the original manufacturer. At a thousand dollars per month, there isn't a way I can afford that. Since cell cept didn't do the job, this is it for me.

Thanks for your response. Hope you are doing well and remain so.

Yes, tacrolimus is the generic of prograf and it is not equivalent & is not the same as prograf. I have been positively A-ok since I was switched back to Prograf after being hospitalized by Tacrolimus. My prograf dosage has been reduced in the last year from 6mg to 5 mg per day. Be careful and be your own advocate.

Always. Thanks for the info. We do monthly tac checks. Do you? It is Medicare that made me switch to generic. Disability. I will talk my doc again about this. We did have a problem initially when we switched to generic. Too much fluctuation of levels. Was at six, then five then six then five now four. My weight remained constant. Medicare did approve this for off label use. Luckily. They won't pay for prograf. Just cannot afford that. Copy's are hard enough.

Glad to hear your transplant was so successful. How marvelous.